ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW: Famous Dutch Actor Turned Orthodox Hermit

Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism.

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written.

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.

December 11, 2012

Famous Dutch Actor Turned Orthodox Hermit

The Dutchman actor and puppeteer Jozef van den Berg was born on 22 August 1949, and at the height of his fame he abandoned all (family, friends, money, fame and career) and he became an Orthodox hermit in a hut in the village Neerijnen in the Netherlands. This was after he met Elder Sophrony in Essex, Elder Porphyrios in Athens and Elder Paisios on Mount Athos in the years 1989 and 1990.

The baptism of the Dutchman Erik Roos in the video below took place on Great and Holy Thursday 21 April 2011, where the newly-illumined took the name Nektarios. The baptism took place in the river Waal near the hut in Neerijnen by Father Dusan and with the hermit Jozef as Godfather. Present were several deacons and readers of the Serbian parishes Sveti Nektarije from Breda, Sveta Troijca from Rotterdam, and the Russian parish of St. Tikhon of Nijmegen, and seventy Orthodox believers. The faithful hold icons of St. Nektarios and Elder Porphyrios. Notice also that the trunk on the small cart that Jozef used as a puppeteer became the Holy Altar in the outdoor chapel.

Towards the bottom is another video about the hermit Jozef.

For more information, see Biography of the Hermit Joseph Van den Berg.